Carbohydrate Metabolism Regulation Problem Set

Question 4: Insulin Regulation of Glucokinase

Glucokinase is also regulated by insulin in liver, but not via phosphorylation. How is this regulation accomplished?

A.

Via increased transcription of the gene encoding this enzyme

This is a different type of regulation from the more rapid (de)phosphorylation
mechanism, but is by no means unusual in metabolic systems. The actual mechanism
of this insulin-initiated regulation is beyond the scope of this course. However,
recall that glucokinase is the "high Km" kinase
for glucose, so there is really no reason for it to even be around if glucose
concentrations stay low most of the time.